Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.

This small but important update shuts down a widely used scam tactic, where developers would upload game screenshots to get an app approved by Apple and then switch them out with screenshots from another popular app.

The scam tricked people into buying fake apps with screenshots ripped from another, more popular game, or a game that has not been ported to iOS at all.

For example, in one instance, an unofficial Pokemon Yellow app was uploaded to the App Store. The app snuck by Apple using an unobtrusive set of screenshots, and then switched them out with photos from the Nintendo game, which thousands of people then purchased.

Several apps have slipped past Apple using this method, including several Minecraft clones that simply use Minecraft screenshots to promote an entirely different game. For example in this video from Panic Blog, a Minecraft clone named "Mooncraft" is demonstrated. The app, presumably, used different screenshots to get past Apple reviewers, and then later changed the game information.

While Apple pulls these apps from the App Store quickly, it is rarely able to do so before hundreds of people lose money. Apple has refunded the purchase price of scam apps in the past, however.

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

At the very least, buyers should be able to report (as well as request for refund) directly from the iOS device (App Store) under following category: (1) app constantly crashes, (2) app does something completely different, (3) app does not work properly on my iOS device, and (4) accidental purchase. And # of times the app has been reported for these issues should be included in the product description.

And if the app has been reviewed by Apple as a scam, every single apps from that company should be pulled out.

And finally, downloading free apps should not prompt for password. And dialog box for entering password should indicate final price of the app.

At the very least, buyers should be able to report (as well as request for refund) directly from the iOS device (App Store) under following category: (1) app constantly crashes, (2) app does something completely different, (3) app does not work properly on my iOS device, and (4) accidental purchase. And # of times the app has been reported for these issues should be included in the product description.

And if the app has been reviewed by Apple as a scam, every single apps from that company should be pulled out.

And finally, downloading free apps should not prompt for password. And dialog box for entering password should indicate final price of the app.

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

No...that's not the issue here.
The problem here is scammers upload a basic legitimate app, with matching screenshots, and gets approved. So testing it or not has nothing to do with it getting approved.
The scammers then switches the original screenshots with something more popular and would entice people to buy their app, thus making a quick buck.

While this is a good move, I don't think Apple is going far enough.
...
And finally, downloading free apps should not prompt for password. And dialog box for entering password should indicate final price of the app.

This at least has the benefit of someone not downloading a ton of useless apps if they borrow your phone without your knowledge.

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

You don't make any sense. Someone creates a game that isn't very good and probably won't sell too many - but it is tested, and there is no reason to reject it. _After_ the app is accepted, the developer swaps images.

Quote:

Originally Posted by needfx

I always liked how "ponzi scheme" sounded, even though it is completely unrelated.

You'll love to know that it is named after Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi, known as Charles Ponzi. Completely unrelated as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

While Apple pulls these apps from the App Store quickly, it is rarely able to do so before hundreds of people lose money. Apple has refunded the purchase price of scam apps in the past, however.

The app store contract also says that while Apple pays 70% of the retail price to developers, Apple has the right to get 100% of the price back in case they have to give refunds in that kind of situation. I don't know how hard it is for Apple to get their money back.

Does somebody at apple try every app to make sure it works, along with looking where it accesses, etc. or just quickly review what the app looks like?

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadmon

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

Reading comprehension fail.

From the article:"This small but important update shuts down a widely used scam tactic, where developers would upload game screenshots to get an app approved by Apple and then switch them out with screenshots from another popular app."

See that order of operation? Developers were previously allowed to switch the screen shots AFTER it was approved, thus tricking people. Now they can not switch it after the fact. Under the new rules, the approvers will have a chance to recognized illegitimate "screen shots" that don't belong to the app being reviewed. I readily approve of this move.

At the very least, buyers should be able to report (as well as request for refund) directly from the iOS device (App Store) under following category: (1) app constantly crashes, (2) app does something completely different, (3) app does not work properly on my iOS device, and (4) accidental purchase. And # of times the app has been reported for these issues should be included in the product description.

And if the app has been reviewed by Apple as a scam, every single apps from that company should be pulled out.

And finally, downloading free apps should not prompt for password. And dialog box for entering password should indicate final price of the app.

I fully agree with what you said. The only exception is the bolded part. For me, sometimes I hand my iPhone to my 6 yr old to play with and he knows how to roam the app store very well. If free apps didn't require at least an initial password-authoriztion, I'd get my phone back with pages and pages of newly installed apps.

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

Feel free to review every single app, beginning to end, and verify total accuracy, including every game (some of which take days or weeks to complete). You should be done in about 700,000 years.

Not really -- it's merely a reaction to a problem caused by an inadequate app review process. Apps like this would have never been allowed into the App store if Apple reviewers actually bothered to test them.

I see your point, but being an apple developer, I can say first hand that apple takes the review process very seriously for proper review. Even small updates usually take two hours for apple to review. One update of mine took almost six hours for apple to review, and it wasn't even a particularly big update. I think that this policy has more to do with developers being dishonest in their marketing rather than inadequate quality of content.